Menu

Life, Cars and Momentum

Digital Feast: 7 Reasons to Give Thanks

I appreciate the simplicity of Thanksgiving. It’s sincere and open, just a day — one reserved to pause for a little while, look around at the people and opportunities surrounding me and say, simply, Thank You.

Among the many things I am grateful for this year is the opportunity to be a part of this grand experiment called digital communications. Those of us who work in the digital space are pioneers of a world that is redefining how people communicate, transact and build relationships. To be a part of such a change in human behavior is humbling. Large or small, our contributions will make a difference to people, now and in the future. With that in mind, here are the seven digital reasons to be grateful this year:

1. Thanks for Reading
Thank you for taking the time to click and for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. I’m grateful to everyone who has given my articles some time. Thanks especially to Dave Winer, without whom blogs would be entirely different.

2. Thanks for SharingThe ability to share information is what makes digital communication work. When I began my career, content was a one-way track: I spoke to you, dear reader, and you didn’t have a chance to talk back. Today the notion of one-way communication is as old school as newsprint. Thankfully. That’s exciting and fresh, especially in the automotive space. I am constantly amazed at the amount of information and best practices shared among the #automotivemarketing experts.

3. Thanks for CreatingContent done for good intentions is content that’s worth reading. To help explain something. To tell an interesting story. To show a better way. It doesn’t need to be flashy or over-produced, it just has to be legitimate and sincere. That’s it. Creating content is a constant learning experience, an evolution of effort and inspiration. You won’t get it right the first time, or the second or the 23rd time. But if you take the time and make the effort to create content for good, it will always shine. Thank you to dealerships who believe that investing in and creating good content is a winning strategy, and thank you to the vendors who have built their business on that foundation.

4. Thanks for the Big IdeaFrom apps like waze to sites like ifttt, brilliant people are putting heart and soul into finding ways to use digital to make life better. Think of it this way: Has your smartphone made life better? Digital technology is an exciting tool that should be used to improve and simplify life. It’s the online antidote for offline challenges, from generating more car sales to finding a good restaurant to take a client. What’s your Big Idea?

5. Thanks for Being SmartWorking in the digital world requires a dedication to learning something new every single day. It means pursuing what’s next, and doing so relentlessly. It’s not work, it’s passion, and that single hyper-speed requirement is teaching generations of professionals to be thought leaders, to always seek out new information and expand their knowledge of the world.

6. Thanks for Page Views and Visits
Boring, right? Yeah. But so what? My Dad, a cabinetmaker, would always tell me to measure twice and cut once. It’s the same with digital marketing. Measure, measure, measure – then do what people are telling you to do. Follow the pencil mark. Thank you, Google Analytics and the other sources of credible data. You draw the line. All we really need to do is cut straight and hold steady. A thousand thank yous to vendors that use science to form decisions instead of gut instinct and the bottomline.

7. Thanks for Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg
Yeah, I know. Too trendy. But Jobs and Zuckerberg are the poster children for demanding visionaries who can change the world. Who have the courage to stand by their convictions and see that vision come to life. Thanks to the digital space, leaders who demand top performance, passion and dedication have an open canvas on which to create. The results have, and will, change the world.